Five questions you didn’t think to ask your photographer (But really should)

The groom, his mother, and sister watch the bride and her father walk down the aisle.

Okay, you have a wedding or big corporate event, or need to get a portrait taken and are ready to book and you begin to google search for “photographers near me” or you are searching hashtags on instagram but there are just so many options and its hard to separate the truly professional from the simply talented. That professionalism is important when you are dealing with a one time event and need everything to go right!

Now I come from a big family - a really big family, so when anyone of my couple dozen cousins come asking about wedding photography I kindly tell them I would rather be a guest than working on their big day! BUT I will then give them this same advice when they begin their search for a photographer. So I hope this will help you feel empowered and confident when choosing your next photographer - even if thats not me!

1. What is your backup strategy?

This question is all about their reliability. A good photographer will tell you how they regularly network with a handful of photographers in the area in case they are sick or have to miss the day, etc. A professional will also tell you how they manage the digital files and what they do incase of a hardware failure. There should be at least one duplicate of everything at all times, from the moment they click the shutter to when they send you the images.

My Answer:

Both of my cameras have two memory cards, the second mirrors the first. When I get home, one card goes in a safe box on my desk where it will not be touched until the photos have been processed and backed up again, the other is the one I use to download to my hard-drive where the images will be processed. Once the photos are edited I upload them to your gallery, and backup to my external hard drive. At no point in time are there less than two instances of your photographs. I also have duplicates of all my flashes, lenses, batteries, and memory cards.

I have yet to miss a wedding or a photo date but in the unlikely occasion that I am sick or injured, there are 3 photographers in the local area I trust and will vouch for their talent. I have been working with them very closely for the last 5 years and know their style and workflow is similar to my own! If they all happen to be busy, I also network with a photographer group here in Baltimore and can reach out to them if necessary.

2. When can we expect to see the photos and how are they delivered?

Okay so this is probably the question everyone is eager to ask, but the “how” in this question carries a lot of weight! No one wants to wait six months for their photos (nor should they) anyone who is giving that sort of timeline is likely over booking themselves. As for the how, there are many different answers that could be given here. A mailed thumb-drive or CD is a less popular option now, most photographers likely have an online gallery where you can download or share. As long as they are giving specific answers here that you are comfortable with, you should be good!

My Answer:

Final images are delivered 4-8 weeks after your wedding date. You will receive an email with a link to an online password protected gallery where you can download the high res .jpg files and share them with friends and family! You or your family can also purchase prints of your favorite images if you so choose right from the gallery. The gallery will be available for 3 months, so be sure to download and backup. Once you have the photos downloaded, I recommend taking the same approach and always having two copies saved independently of each other.

3. What is your approach to posed vs candid?

You are really asking about a photographers demeanor when photographing. Some may be a fly on the wall, others may be more like a director. You should be comfortable with their level of interaction, but a good photographer will be adaptable to the situation!

My Answer:

For a majority of the day, I am sort of a fly on the wall. My goal is to document the day honestly because I believe with the amount of love and time you have invested into the event, it should not be overshadowed by any filter or interpretation on my end. That being said, I am not afraid to give guidance/advice to help your vision, its your event, not mine. When it comes to group photos and the classic posed shot, I am not afraid to project my voice and tell your Aunt Krissy to get in line! I have directed military generals, congressmen, and college students so when it comes to your family, I have no worries we can get them to stand still for 1/200th of a second.

4. Who owns the copyright and what are the restrictions on printing and sharing?

Copyright law can always feel daunting, and is often misunderstood, but this is something that will be written out in the contract so its a good idea to understand how they go about this. No photographer is going to give you the copyright to the image (unless you pay them a LOT of money) but thats okay! Because you don’t need the copyright to make prints or share the photos. There should be a written acceptable use policy the photographer grants you! Just make sure you understand and are comfortable with their answer, there can be room to negotiate here if necessary.

My Answer:

As the photographer, the copyright is automatically mine. The exact verbage which is embedded into all the photos, gives the client “a limited non-exclusive, non-transferrable, perpetual personal use license.”

Yes, thats a lot of scary sounded legal words but this means that you, and only you, are allowed to do whatever you want with the photos, as long as it does not involve making money off the photo. You can download them and share them online or with friends and family. You can make prints and display, even if its not through my print store and you can do this forever. If your vendors would like to use my photos, they will need to contact me directly for that permission. Now if your mom decides to get t shirts printed of your face thats fine (at least from a copyright perspective - though you may want to have a chat with her), as long as she doesn’t start selling them I am cool with it!

5. What is included in your pricing and are there any extra costs?

Budget Transparency is big! Especially if, like me, you decide to do like four major life milestones all within a year. I graduated college, found a job, bought a house, and got married all in the summer of 2019, lets just say the budget was tight for a minute. A good photographer will be up front and transparent about their prices.

My Answer:

Wedding rates: You can find my wedding packages at https://mikeguinto.com/couples. This will include shooting and editing time. Hourly rates are $350/hour

Travel: I do not charge for the editing time. If I am traveling more than an hour, I will add a $50 for every extra half an hour of travel beyond that for time/gas/mileage/parking. I do not charge extra for my return trip.

If the travel includes airfaire or extended travel, I can send you an estimate breaking down all the expenses.

Corporate rates: because event photography is so varied, I will send a project proposal/invoice catered to your organizations needs before any contracts are signed!

Print products: Any prints you wish to purchase are not calculated into the wedding packages, though the packages include a 15% discount off your first print order!

I hope this is a helpful guide to get you started finding your photographer! Remember that the best photographers are transparent, prepared, and aligned with your vision! Now that you are armed with the right questions to ask, lets talk about your event and see if we click! (pun intended)